report | May 17, 2012

Public Yawns at European Economic Woes

As the G-8 leaders prepare to meet at Camp David on Friday, the dominant topic of conversation will be the European debt crisis. Yet it is a crisis that has attracted minimal interest or concern among the U.S. public, despite warnings from economists that Europe’s problems may threaten this country’s fragile recovery. Last week was […]

short reads | May 17, 2012

The Kevin Bacon Effect

At two degrees of separation (friends of friends), Facebook users surveyed on average can reach 150,000 other Facebook users.

report | May 17, 2012

In Social Media, Support for Same-sex Marriage

During a week when North Carolina voters rejected same-sex marriage and President Obama endorsed it, the controversial issue inspired a passionate debate on blogs and Twitter. And in both social media platforms, those in favor of allowing gay couples to wed dominated those who were opposed.

report | May 17, 2012

College Graduation: Weighing the Cost … and the Payoff

The issue of costs and rising student debt have have touched off a national debate about the cost and value of a college education. Surveys by the Pew Research Center present this portrait of the views of the general public and college graduates on these issues.

report | May 15, 2012

Obama Support for Gay Marriage Public’s Top Story

Overview President Obama’s expression of support for same-sex marriage proved to be the public’s top news story last week. About a quarter of Americans (26%) say they followed news about Obama’s statements on the divisive topic more closely than any other news, according to the latest weekly News Interest Index survey, conducted May 10-13 among […]

report | May 15, 2012

Assessing the Representativeness of Public Opinion Surveys

Overview For decades survey research has provided trusted data about political attitudes and voting behavior, the economy, health, education, demography and many other topics. But political and media surveys are facing significant challenges as a consequence of societal and technological changes. It has become increasingly difficult to contact potential respondents and to persuade them to […]

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